slide 1 tomorrow’s technology and you 8/e chapter 5 productivity applications © 2008...

Tomorrow’s Technology and You 8/e

Chapter 5

Productivity Applications

© 2008 Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Tomorrow’s Technology and You 8/e Chapter 5

The Spreadsheet: Software for Simulation and Speculation

The Malleable Matrix

The spreadsheet consists of: Cells (the intersection

of a row and column) Addresses (column letter and

row number, e.g., A1, C12)


Cell A1

Cell C12



Spreadsheets can contain:Values, such as numbers and

datesLabels, such as column and

report headings, that explain what the values mean




Formulas allow you to create instructions using mathematical expressions and commands.


+ (plus)- (minus)

*(multiplication)/ (division)

Sum

Average



Screen Test:

Creating a Worksheet with Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet programs work in much the same way and share

most of these features:Spreadsheets offer many automatic features such as replication of data.




Formulas can be: Relative, so they refer to different cells when they are copied Absolute, so the formula references never change when they are copied


When the formula in column B is copied to column C, it changes relative to the new column.



Automatic recalculation Any time a change is entered into the spreadsheet, all data related to

the change automatically updates.


When a value is entered in column E or F the value of the related formula in column G is automatically updated.



Functions (e.g., SUM, AVG, SQRT) automate complex calculations.

Macros store keystrokes and commands so they can be played back automatically.

Templates offer ready-to-use worksheets with labels and formulas already entered.





Linking spreadsheets together

When the values change in one spreadsheet, the data is automatically updated in all linked spreadsheets.

Database capabilities Search for information

Sort the data by a specific criteria

Merge the data with a word processor

Generate reports



Rules of Thumb: Avoiding Spreadsheet Pitfalls

Plan the worksheet before you start entering values and formulas.

Make your assumptions as accurate as possible. Double-check every formula and value.




Rules of Thumb (continued) Make formulas readable. Check your output against other systems. Build in cross-checks. Change the input data values and study the results. Take advantage of pre-programmed functions, templates,

and macros.. Use a spreadsheet as a decision-making aid, not as a

decision-maker.




“What If?” Questions

Spreadsheets allow you to change numbers and instantly see the effects of those changes. “What if I enter this value?”

Equation solvers Some spreadsheets generate data needed to fit a given equation and

target value.




Spreadsheet Graphics: From Digits to Drawings

Charts allow you to turn numbers into visual data.

Pie charts show proportions relative to the whole.

Line charts show trends or relationships over time.


45.9 46.9 45

30.638.6 34.6

20.427.4

90

0

20

40

60

80

100

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr

EastWest

North

15%

20%

65%



Use bar charts if data falls into a few categories.

Use scatter charts to discover, rather than to display, a relationship between two variables.


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr

North

West

East

$0.00

$1,000.00

$2,000.00

$3,000.00

$4,000.00

$5,000.00

$6,000.00

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5

Australia

Germany

Canada

Great Britain



Rules of Thumb: Making Smart Charts

Choose the right chart for the job.Think about the message you’re trying to convey. Pie charts, bar charts, line charts, and scatter charts are not interchangeable.

Keep it simple, familiar, and understandable. Use charts in magazines, books, and newspapers as models.Strive to reveal the truth, not hide it.



Statistical Software: Beyond Spreadsheets

Automatic MathematicsMathematics processing software

Software turns abstract mathematical relationships into visual objects (Example: Mathematica by Wolfram).

Generally, they include an interactive, wizard-like question-and-answer mode, a programming language, and tools for creating interactive documents that combine text, numerical expressions, and graphics.




Statistics and Data AnalysisStatistical and data analysis software

Collects and analyzes data that tests the strength of data relationships

Can produce graphs showing how two or more variables relate to each other

Can often uncover trends by browsing through two- and three-dimensional graphs of data, looking for unusual patterns in the dots and lines that appear on the screen




Scientific Visualization Scientific visualization software uses shape, location in space,

color, brightness, and motion to help us visualize data. Visualization helps researchers see relationships that might

have been obscure or even impossible to grasp without computer-aided visualization tools.



Calculated Risks: Computer Modeling and Simulation


Computer modeling uses computers to create abstract models of objects, organisms, organizations, and processes.

Examples of popular computer models:Games (chess boards, sports arenas, and mythological societies)Models of organisms, objects, and organizationsFlight simulators and simulations of science lab activitiesBusiness, city, or nation management simulations




Computer Simulations: The RiskGIGO Revisited

The accuracy of a simulation depends on how closely its mathematical model corresponds to the system being simulated.

Some models suffer from faulty assumptions. Some models contain hidden assumptions that may not even be

obvious to their creators. Some models go astray simply because of clerical or human errors. Still, garbage in, garbage out is a basic rule of simulation.




The Illusion of Infallibility A computer simulation, whether generated by a

PC spreadsheet or churned out by a supercomputer, can be an invaluable decision-making aid.

The risk is that the people who make decisions with computers will turn over too much of their decision-making power to the computer.

Risks can be magnified because people take computers seriously.

“Trust your feelings.” Jedi Master in Star

Wars

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